3pointD.com

Reuters carried the news Wednesday that Linden Lab, makers of the virtual world of Second Life, had invited FBI agents to look around the Grid at the gambling activities going on there. And though the Lindens say they “know of no law enforcement agency that has opened an investigation into gambling in Second Life,” the company has decided to no longer accept from residents “any classified ads, place listings, or event listings that appear to relate to simulated casino activity.” Now, Giddyup Holdings, a company based in the British Virgin Islands and which runs Internet gambling site PalmVegas.com as well as a Second Life casino, has issued a press release — apparently signed off on by LL’s PR agency — stating that it will no longer allow access to its SL casino by U.S. residents, and that it is talking to Linden Lab about ways to automatically restrict access to U.S. residents and computers being accessed from within the U.S. There may not be an investigation going on, but it sounds like people are nervous. I’d say it’s even money as to whether we see a ruling from the government on gambling in Second Life, since current laws (as I recall) pretty clearly state that U.S. residents aren’t allowed access to gambling via the Internet (which of course is the network through which we access SL). There’s sure to be a hue and cry from a few cyberutopian SL residents out there, but my guess is that the issue’s already been decided.